Widely seen as the top free agent quarterback in this year’s class, Cousins will have some extraordinary large expectations resting on his shoulders in the years to come. Obviously, the Vikings were already a contender before adding Cousins to lead the offense. Now that he’s on board, there are no excuses not to live up to those expectations.

On a personal note for Cousins, this deal marks a tremendous moment. Originally an afterthought as a fourth-round pick in 2012 — the same year Robert Griffin III went No. 2 overall — Cousins has emerged as the player Washington hoped it had with RG3. But being that Washington is among the most dysfunctional teams in the league, it’s hardly surprising that it botched things with Cousins, who is now moving on to greener pastures — both from a monetary and atmospheric perspective.

In his six seasons with Washington, Cousins earned a record of 26-30-1. He also completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 16,206 yards with 99 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.